This invention relates to a connector adaptable to high-speed transmission.
A connector of the type is required to have a so-called shielding function. For this purpose, a connector disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H11-283710 comprises, in addition to a signal contact for connecting a signal line, a ground contact for connecting a ground line. The signal contact and the ground contact are held by a housing defining a fitting portion to be fitted to a mating connector. A conductive shell is coupled to an outer surface of the housing. The ground contact has a spring portion disposed in the fitting portion. The spring portion has an end formed as a free end completely separated and apart from the shell.
When the mating connector is fitted to the fitting portion, the mating connector is contacted with the signal contact and the ground contact. As a result, the signal line and the ground line are connected via the mating connector to the signal contact and the ground contact, respectively.
The mating connector starts to contact with the signal contact and the ground contact in the middle of a fitting operation of the mating connector. Therefore, if the mating connector carries electrostatic charges, charge current may flow from the mating connector to the signal contact in the middle of the fitting operation. In case where the signal contact and the ground contact are preliminarily connected to an electric circuit, the charge current flow through the signal contact to the electric circuit. This may result in a damage of the electric circuit.